Client Testimonials

Here is what some of our clients have to say about ABOVE THE REST:

“Rarely have I been extraordinarily impressed from the overall exceptional experience after contacting a company for a potential job. In this regard, Above The Rest Builders, though ALL phases of the gate and fence project, was exceptional! Note – I chose that word carefully.
From: 1) the initial meeting with Matt (the owner), 2) discussion and refinement of the design ( bc my gate was somewhat a unique design requiring bending of wood to create an aesthetic curve), 3) the highly skilled carpenters arriving on time, discussing ‘that’ day’s work and cleaning up, 4) the project completed on time, and 5) the final review and bit of additional work to achieve superior quality, Above The Rest Builders knocked every phase out of the park!!
My recommendation – look no more, chose them, and you will experience a company with a total commitment to quality creating the gate and or fence you need. And, their prices are definitely reasonable for the project!!”
– Mike A. (Larkspur, Ca.)

“Above The Rest Fences & Decks. Matt and his team built a beautiful fence for us that has truly transformed our yard and the curb appeal of the house. Above The Rest specializes in horizontal fence and you can tell. The quote was clear, fair, and straightforward. The work was meticulous. efficient, and the result makes me happy every time I look out the windwo or walk up to the house!”
– K.H. (San Rafael, Ca.) *nextdoor review

“Above the Rest Fences & Decks did a fantastic job replacing our fence. The craftsmanship is stellar. We plan to work with them again when we need to replace more of our older fencing. I would highly recommend working with them.”
– T.I. (San Rafael, Ca.) *nextdoor review 

“Above the Rest did our fence last year and we are still getting compliments on how beautiful it looks.  We are a corner lot with several slopes so it was a large job.  Matt and the entire team were super professional and easy to work with.  The team was amazingly efficient and had great attention to detail.  Daily when I drive up to our home I am amazed by how straight our fence line is, especially given the terrain. The workmanship is top notch.  We’ve done a lot of projects on our house and I would say working with Above the Rest was our best contractor experience yet.  Highly recommend!”
Lisa G. (Mill Valley, Ca.)

“Quality work at a fair price with prompt and honest communication.  Everything you want in a contractor.  These guys are great.  Built a side yard fence for us.  Bid was complete and easy to understand.  They showed up when they said they would, completed the job efficiently, and cleaned up and cleared everything out afterwards.  Highly recommended.”
– Dennis H. (San Rafael, Ca.)

“Above The Rest crew just replaced 62ft of failing property line fence. Started work at 8:30 am and finished just after 3 pm. Great resuts, superb quality done by a highly skilled and professional team. Couldn’t be happier.”
– D.R. (San Anselmo, Ca.) *nextdoor review

“Matt and his crew are the best workers we’ve ever dealt with! Matt got us the estimate within a few days and a 66 foot beautiful fence was put up in 3 days.The crew was very courteous and answered every question. You won’t find a better fence company – seriously. This is your go-to company for fence work.”
– Shannon G. (San Rafael, Ca.)

“Matt and his team did a wonderful job on my fence repairs.  The whole experience from beginning to end was great.  Matt is very responsive and returned my call quickly and gave me an estimate within a few days.  What impressed me the most about Matt was his solution to making repairs and not trying to sell me on a brand new fence.  His ideas were smart and reasonable, and I know what to expect for the future.  His crew was terrific and the supervisor on the job was very attentive to the work and making sure it was done to my satisfaction.  From my experience, they really are ‘above’ the rest.”
– Jerri M. (Mill Valley, Ca.)

“Matt’s team did a small job we had been meaning to take care of for years. Our neighbor, a contractor, uses the part of his front yard nearest to us as a dumping ground for tools and worksite crap. And there are always a few broken down cars in the driveway. From our living room you look directly onto this mess. We had tried growing bushes but the summer heat and hungry deer conspired against our every effort to get anything established. A fence was the only solution. Now when I look out the window no more junk yard. Thanks Matt!”
– Scott S. (San Rafael, Ca.)

“We replaced our fence July 2021 and couldnt be happier with Above the Rest Fence Builders. We got 3 estimates from 3 local companies, and we went with Above the Rest because of the excellent and easy communication with the owner, Matt.
– E.C. (*nextdoor review)

“The name says it all. Our front gate and fence return look great. The project was done on time, as designed and on budget. Even the Town’s inspector liked the work. Matt was prompt in his responses to emails and his crew was patient with questions and very accommodating. It was a pleasure dealing with Matt and the installers. I would absolutely consider using them again.”
– Ken W. (Belvedere, Ca.) 

“We had Above the Rest build a new fence for us and our adjoining neighbor. Matt was very easy to work with and great about getting a quote to us on a timely manner. He took all of my calls and answered all of my questions. He team including Miguel and Gustavo were on time, worked hard and were very helpful when it came to little details like a downspout on the existing fence. They asked for my approval on the gate hardware and did a good job cleaning up after the fences were completed. I would definitely recommend them!”
– Bill B. (San Rafael, Ca.)

“Above the Rest just did a job for us and we could not be more pleased. Matt was able to squeeze us in and meet our schedule. Professional and accommodating, excellent craftsmanship and very reasonable pricing puts Matt and his crew definitely above the rest! Bottom line if you need fencing or decking – give Matt a try – he’s the only one we’ll use in the future.”
-Mike R. (San Rafael, Ca.)

“If I could rate above 5 stars, I would. Honest, efficient, on time and on budget. And they did a fantastic job. No one better.”
– Cathy H. (Novato, Ca.)

“Above the Rest receives my highest recommendation! The price was very competitive. The crew arrived on the scheduled day, worked very efficiently, cleaned up all debris, worked quieter than expected and did an outstanding job. Our fence is very well built, sturdy and beautiful. A great company!”
– Ilene A. (Novato, Ca.)

“Matt and his guys did excellent work replacing a wood retaining wall.  They encountered some unexpected issues.  Handled them very professionally.  The estimate was very reasonable and the added charges for the unexpected were reasonable.  Everyone was easy to work with and very responsive.  Job was started on the scheduled date as promised and completed early. Site was cleaned every day.”
– Melissa K. (Mill Valley)

“Above the Rest is top notch all the way.  Matt was thoughtful, extremely thorough and followed through with everything he promised.  The work was done on time.  The guys were extremely hard working and careful around the planted areas where the fence was built.   Can’t say enough about the quality and value provided by Above the Rest.  Matt’s bid was several thousand dollars less than other competitive bids and our feeling is that the product is even better than we expected.”
– Eric V (Novato, Ca.)

“Above the Rest put in a new fence with two gates around our yard. We are extremely pleased with the excellent communication and the quality of the work. Matt was very responsive to our phone calls and e-mails. When we committed to do the work, Matt was upfront with us and said that we would have to wait two months for our job to be done. Due to the many positive reviews and recommendations on Yelp and Nextdoor, we decided to remain committed to working with Above the Rest despite the wait. We are glad we waited the two months, because we are very happy with the work and the professionalism of this company.”
– Kimmie L. (San Anselmo, Ca.)

“We had an old tatty fence on two sides of property as well as some small retaining wall issues.   We finally decided to tear it out and replace it.   Matt arrived on time and gave a quick and accurate assessment of the job and we hired them.    The team came in and finished the entire job in 6 days, working very neatly and being careful not to disturb the plants all along the fence.   The final fence is strong and looks amazing … they did a wonderful job.    Super nice people to deal with and I would highly recommend them.”
– Mike H. (San Rafael, Ca.)

“Wanted to share my outstanding experience with Above the Rest Builders. I had some redwood fencing replaced and gates installed. I reached out to at least 4 fence companies and Above the Rest Builders was by far the best company for my job. Some of fencing companies could not get it together to even show up, some showed up but could not provide an accurate quote. Above the Rest’s owner Matt was super responsive, provided a comprehensive quote in a timely fashion and even included sample photos to ensure we had clear communication on the project. He also does arbors, decks etc not just fences. He uses email (apparently a challenge for some of the old school fencing companies!), his quote was competitive, his crew arrived on time, performed excellent work and cleaned up when complete. I highly recommend them – ask for the owner Matt when you call.”
– Lisa L. (San Anselmo, Ca.)

“We live in Marin Lagoon and had to replace a poorly made fence. The Above the Rest team did a great, rapid, and complete job including washing and staining. The communications were great and the crew friendly and efficient. Dennis”
– Dennis (San Rafael, Ca.)

“We loved Above the Rest.  Did the best job ever!!  Matt gave us a quick estimate.  Scheduled the work easily.  Angel and Rocky who did the work were great. Each day they left our property clean and organized.  The work was completed exactly when they said it would be done.  We had two gates and one fence and gate built. The gates were out of redwood and the fence and gate was out of IPE.  Not everyone likes to work with IPE we found out, but this company does and does it very well.  WE highly recommend this company for a fast, well priced and beautiful job!! Thank you guys love our new gates and fence.”
– Roz G. (Greenbrae, Ca.)

“Matt is a really down to earth, nice guy and runs his business so well–great customer service!  His crew– Angle & Rene are great at what they do! Always happy and polite! They built a fence in our front yard along with custom gate and stained everything. It turned out so beautiful! I highly recommend Above The Rest!!”
-M.M. (San Rafael, Ca.)

“Matt and his crew just finished my beautiful fence on time and on budget. Great job! I highly recommend Above the Rest Builders.”
-Nancy F. (Fairfax, Ca.)

“Matt and Above The Rest were recommended by our landscape architect.  We have had a lot of work done on our home the past 20 plus years.  I could not recommend a contractor any higher than Above the Rest.  We had a large deck and fence replaced in San Francisco. Matt and his guys were polite, reliable, completed the work within the time schedule and the quality was excellent.  I have referred Matt to many who need fence and deck work. A total delight to work with”
– Scott W.W. (San Francisco, Ca.)

“Matt and his team are really above the rest!!! They did a great job building a deer fence on our hillside property in Tiburon. Matt did not let anything get into the way of completing our projects. Between Jan and July 2014, they built a deer fence all around our backyard, later relocated a section of it and also extended it on one side down to the street. We did 4 fence projects with them and every time all went well although both our neighbors on each side of our property had encroachments onto our property. Matt is easy to work with, has a reliable team and gets the projects completed and signed off regardless of the challenges.”
– Justice A. (Belvedere Tiburon, Ca.)

“Great experience from beginning to end of project. Friendly, professional and prompt, delivering as promised, ahead of schedule even! Very competitive pricing and quality workmanship, we love our new fence, and so do our neighbors!”
– Veronica H. (Novato, Ca.)

“Above the Rest Builders was incredible to work with. I would recommend them to everyone. The business owner, Matt, promptly returned my calls and easily answered my many questions via email. His foreman, Angel, and the working crew were very professional, polite and hard working. Our beautiful  fence was completed in two and a half days and the crew was careful to keep our property clean and  tidy throughout the process. There’s really no reason to hire anyone else. Call these folks today.”
– Paula G. (San Francisco, Ca)

“Wonderful work.  Attention to detail.   No need to supervise this contractor.   Just tell them what you want and relax.   Priced very competitively.   I really love my arbor and trellis.   I would use and recommend this contractor again.”
– Cynthia R. (Greenbrae, Ca)

“Honest, professional communication from the very start.  They finished on time and on budget.  My back stairs look great and the build quality is outstanding.  They do amazing work and they are a pleasure to work with.  High quality construction and the looks to match.  I’ve never worked with a contractor who was so clear and direct.  A breath of fresh air in a world full of disappointing, absentee, overcharging contractors.  I can’t say enough. Thanks Above the Rest for making this project so easy!”
– Louis C. (San Francisco, Ca)

“If you need fence work done and live in Marin, save yourself a lot of time and just hire Above the rest. I’ll be the first to admit, I’m not always the easiest client; but we couldnt be happier with the level of service and quality provided by Matt and his team.  
The work was top notch…both in terms of the design and the quality of the build. The entire team was super helpful and friendly…and the fences went up much quicker than we imagined possible. Oh…and it all came in at a really reasonable price.
I guess with all 5-stars, I should have expected as much.”
  Aaron M. (San Rafael, CA)

“Above The Rest Fences & Decks do great work. Very professional and honest.
As a Professional Property Manager  for luxury single homes in the Peninsula, it’s hard to find truly great contractors. I am very satisfied with Above The Rest’s customer service, attention to details and fair price structure. I have been working with the company for close to five years… never any issues.
I highly recommend their services to my owner/clients and people who want to hire the best and worry less. 
Thank you Above The Rest!”
  Jason B. (Redwood City, CA)

“Matt and the Above the Rest Team just finished a fence for us. They have been a pleasure to work from start to finish. Matt came out and spoke with my husband about our ideas and offered recommendations on how to make the fence look good and fit our needs. He has been very responsive — emailing or calling us back the same day. His bid was very competitive with the other bids we received. His team started the project as scheduled, which I have found is not the case with a lot of contractors. His team was professional and finished the job in two days. The fence looks great and was done just as we discussed — without any surprises or unexpected charges. I know it makes good sense to get multiple bids for a project like this, but in this case, save the time and hassle of reaching out to other contractors and go straight to Matt and Above the Rest. You won’t be disappointed!”
–  Courtney D. (San Francisco, CA)

“Matt and his team live up to their name.  They built a rear fence for our home in Corte Madera and it turned out great!  Their pricing was very reasonable and the workmanship was excellent.  We really appreciated their effective communication, follow through and attention to detail.  I would strongly recommend Above the Rest to anyone looking to have a fence or deck built.”
 Mark S. (Corte Madera, CA)

“These guys are ABOVE THE BEST… It’s such a pleasure to work with people who do what they say with no hassle about anything. Job well done in repairing a redwood fence after the storm blew part of it down. Matt is a delight. Will definitely use them again.”
–  Barbara W. (San Francisco, CA)

“We met Matthew at the Marin Home Show last year and we had him come out and give us a bid on a fence. Above the Rest had the best price so we hired them. Glad we did too, I agree with the other Yelper, these guys are very nice and work was done carefully and with excellent workmanship. As you can see from my photos, I had plants, trees right next to the fence and nothing was damaged! Kudos for that alone! I would hire them again and probably will. Certainly would recommend them to a friend or my fellow Yelpers out there!”
–  Carol H. (Mill Valley, CA)

“Wow! These guys are sharp workers! I found them through a mailer as I needed a 3rd bid. They were the lowest! AND the work was top notch!! I couldn’t believe how precise and accurate they worked.(They are super neat nicks about squareness! Thumbs up!) The Owner, Matthew, is very approachable and cool and his team are so respectable, no wonder they work so quick and accurately! They are a well oiled machine! I live on a high profile corner and I continue to get great compliments on their work! Had to share this with my fellow Yelpers as it’s so hard to find someone who works and thinks as hard and carefully as yourself these days!”
– LH D. (Mill Valley, CA)

“Matthew and the Team did an outstanding job for us. They did a large project and I’ve never worked with a more professional and reliable organization. They did great work at very reasonable rates. They were prompt, professional, reliable and very tidy each and everyday of the project. I highly recommend ABOVE THE REST.”
– Wyatt (Burlingame, CA)

“ABOVE THE REST fixed our fence and did an excellent job. They were on time, personable and excellent value. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to have fence or deck work done from simple fixes to complicated design work.”
– Rich (Danville, CA)

“ABOVE THE REST did a wonderful job on our backyard fence. They were very professional and nice and did the job very quickly. They even worked in the rain to get the job done on schedule. Three backyards were involved and they worked around all of our schedules and did such a fantastic job. Because of their awesome work, another neighbor decided to get their fence done as will by ABOVE THE REST.”
 – Julie (San Francisco, CA)

“My wife and I had ABOVE THE REST replace our backyard fence and front entry gate. They did a very high quality job, stuck to their budget and were a pleasure to deal with. We highly recommend their work.”
– Jacobs (Mill Valley, CA)

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with ABOVE THE REST on two occasions and can honestly say they know what they are doing. The work was fast and builders were friendly and courteous. The end result looked great and the Cumaru wood they use is beautiful. Most importantly, my clients were happy. I couldn’t ask for more than that.”
– Darryl Furuya of Landscape Nirvana

“The Above the Rest team was a godsend! Our fence was leaning and hanging by a thread, so to speak. We thought we were going to need to get a loan of $2000-3000 for a brand new fence, but Above the Rest told us clearly that we did NOT need all that work. It turned out that we only needed a $350 repair. 
They added some supportive posts that blended right in and our whole fence was saved… at least for another 10 + years or so! They were prompt, clear in all communications, courteous, efficient, and left the area clean and tidy. The work is solid. Our fence is sturdy once again. I would highly recommend them! They saved us over $1500-2000.”
– Harlow H. (San Rafael, CA.)

 “I have used this company two times. No need to ask others as Matthew’s design help and quality workmanship answer all my needs.”
– Mel D. (Larkspur, CA.)

“Nice to work with Above the Rest to replace a redwood fence. Their estimate was  well prepared, detailed and complete, and the price was competitive. Work was done in one day, and site left clean and clear. Crew was efficient, careful, friendly, and helpful.”
– I.G. (Sausalito, CA.)

“We are were very happy with the design and workmanship Mathew and crew provided on our recent fence job. We get lots of compliments on the design they implemented and they stand behind their work – well after the project ended, they came by and adjusted a gate door within a day of inquiring.  I would definitely recommend them to a friend.”
– Tom J. (Corte Madera, CA.)

“I came across Above the Rest Fences & Deck through a web search and am thrilled we decided to use them. Matt and his crew are professional, informative, efficient and do the job above and beyond. Our fence is gorgeous, was built to high standards in a timely manner. They are priced well compared to other contractors. We will definitely use them again!!”
– Ronit L. (Mill Valley, CA)

“Matt and his team were very professional and did a very nice job on my backyard retaining wall.
Matt was very articulate in explaining the work that was to be executed and followed through with a very solid effort.  I would recommend him for future work.”
– Rugger O. (Novato, CA)

“The Above the Rest Builders did an excellent job for us. We wanted a fence that was child proof, and yet that did not isolate us from the neighbors. The team worked with us, gave us very helpful suggestions and the result was fantastic! The workers are respectful kind and very experienced. Also, the price was reasonable compared to other bids. We are very very happy with their work!!”
– Roberta L. (Fairfax, CA)

 

Press

Project Portfolio: Bay views

June 18, 2013 –  By LM Staff
http://landscapemanagement.net/2013/06/18/project-portfolio-bay-views